A Ninja's Fate
by TheGoodMadame
Summary: When given the choice to live or die Naga must make a difficult decision. When someone interferes he has no choice but to live to protect the ones he loves.
1. Chapter 1

"Naga, bring your ass over here!" I flinched at the hostility in my master's voice. I put down the shuriken I was cleaning and walked into the kitchen of the Akatsuki base. My master, Deidara, was drunk again off the sake I had brought back from my last mission for Pein. I sighed as I walked over to him and helped him up from the floor before taking him to our shared room. Deidara reached over to me once inside his room and pulled me down to the bowing position. I didn't move from that position as Deidara's fist struck me over and over screaming at me to tell him my real name, he did this until finally passing out on the bed. Deidara didn't like laying his hands on me but did so very often once drunk causing me to suffer several injuries that each night I found a different excuse for after erasing the memories from his brain. I finally stood up from the floor with parts of my face swollen and my lip bleeding to place my hands on Deidara's head, I erased his memories before walking out of our room to meet Itachi by the door.

Itachi sighed, "you can't hide your true identity forever Naga. We will find it out eventually."

I chuckled, "I have it set up so you will upon my inevitable death. If my identity was to be discovered by any of you prematurely, I'd put you all at risk. Of course there is always the chance of that happening so I've planned for that as well." I continued walking after leaving it at that and walked outside the Akatsuki base. I looked up to the sky thinking about how I even came to become Deidara's servant.

 _I ran from Orochimaru without looking back after finding out the truth about myself. I was the first reanimated corpse to ever be perfected without the help of Lady Chiyo. I cried as I realized that I was killed during the First Shinobi War making me almost a hundred years old. I kept running until bumping into a man with solid yellow hair talking to a man in a spiral mask. I was covered in the blood of the ninja I killed to get away as I looked at them._

 _"Please help me!" They both looked at me and scoffed. I gasped as a blade went through my neck decapitating my head from my body. The ninja chasing me looked at me with defeat as my body lay still on the ground but I realized I was still alive. The sword hadn't killed me like I believed it had. It lead the ninja tracking me to believe I had died and they soon retreated back to Orochimaru._

 _"That was close…" The yellow haired man picked up my head and looked me in the eyes as if wondering if I was alive._

 _"Slicing my head off wasn't very nice...although you probably did just free me from Orochimaru" The two men in front of me both jumped as my body stood up off the ground and grabbed my head from him. I put my head back on my body twisting it around before it finally healed in place. The yellow haired man grabbed me by my hands and held them behind my back with some sort of material. I struggled against them only to find the stuff around my wrists tightened._

 _"If you squirm too much my explosive clay might well, explode!" I stopped struggling. I don't think even my body could survive being blown to bits. I was pushed forward as we started walking deeper into the woods._

 _"So who are you anyways?" I shrugged._

 _"I know my name is Naga, but I have no clue who I am other than that." That was a lie. I knew who I was but telling them would only lead to them treating me the same way Orochimaru treated me._

I felt a hand grab me on the shoulder as I was deep in thought causing me to jump. I looked over to see Pein nod towards the small pond next to the base. I nodded and we walked over without saying much to him. We both sat on the edge of the pond before looking over at one another.

"Why won't you tell them who you are?" I looked down.

"I'm afraid.."

"That they'll act like he did? I haven't acted that way towards you, have I?" I tried not to look at him as I answered.

"I know that's how they're going to act, but, no you haven't. You're the only one I trust with my identity. It's just…"

"Hm?" Pein looked over at me with curiosity.

"I wish I wasn't immortal anymore but every time I stab this fucking heart it just won't die!" I took a small knife inside my pocket and stabbed it into my heart to prove my point. My skin simply healed and pushed the knife back out, "I don't even deserve to have a life anymore…"

Pein looked at me with sympathy before standing up from beside me, "You told me long ago that you only need a heart to survive right?" He offered his hand which I took and got up as well.

"If you really want to die, like you say, at the end of this month come to me and we will remove your heart. I will set you free on the condition that you are sure you have nothing to live for." I looked at Pein in shock. He walked away as I stood there looking after him to make sure this wasn't a prank he was pulling. I knew this month would be hell as I knew I had nothing to live for but caring for a lazy drunk and that wasn't the best life one would want.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been almost a week since I talked to Pein about my true inner feelings. He's been watching me as I went about my day but something was off about today because I hadn't seen him once all day; even Konan was looking for him. I sat on my bed in my room as Tobi walked into my room and removed his mask. I gasped as I immediately knew his face. Tobi was Obito Uchiha and judging by the look he was giving me, he knew exactly who I was. I stood up and removed a scroll from my pocket.

"Naga I have come to kill you." I chuckled quietly to myself as I looked up at him.

"This is why I always have a backup plan." I made one simple handsign and dropped my scroll. It disappeared as Tobi ran at me with a sword and shoved it through my abdomen. I touched the wound as it bled and dropped a couple droplets of blood onto the scroll. The scroll started to glow before I touched Obitio on his hand which made my blood seep into his skin and go straight to his brain. Before he could panic his memory of ever knowing my identity faded. He could only remember coming to see me in my room to ask about a grocery errand to find me stabbed and bleeding on the ground. I collapsed after putting his mask back on his face and fell back onto the floor. I coughed up blood as I laid there hearing Tobi scream for Itachi or Deidara. I felt Deidara's chakra be the first to enter the room.

"Naga!" His voice was distraught as he dropped down next to me and touched the sword that was still in my abdomen. He gripped it and started to remove it as I coughed blood onto his Akatsuki robe. I felt something wet hit my skin and looked up to see Deidara was crying as he threw the sword into the wall.

"Don't worry….I'll be fine…" It seemed to click in Deidara's mind and he chuckled as he wiped his tears.

"I nearly forgot…" I sat up and looked up at him as the wound healed itself. I wiped the blood away from my mouth and hugged Deidara close to me as his eyes were still red and puffy. I leaned into his ear to whisper to him.

"Deidara, I'm ready to tell you who I am. And only you." Deidara looked at me with shock on his face as I stood up. I looked back at Pein who stood in the doorway and mouthed that I would speak with him later as I threw him the sword Tobi used on me. He nodded before walking back to his office with the sword. I kicked Tobi out of Deidara and I's room and slammed the door shut. I turned to Deidara as I helped him up off the floor and looked at him.

"If I tell you this, no one else can know do you understand? That just now, was what happens when someone finds out who I am, and it's why I won't tell the rest of the Akatsuki because I don't know how they'll take it." Deidara nodded.

"I promise, Naga. If something like that is why you can't reveal it then I will make sure to protect the secret with my life." I smiled softly.

"My name is Takashi Senju. I died during the First Shinobi World War protecting Tobirama after the fall of my father Hashirama Senju. I was reanimated by Orochimaru and was the first perfect reanimation that was performed without Lady Chiyo. I survive on only a beating heart that cannot die unless removed from my body. I was only sixteen when I was killed which makes me roughly around a hundred years old now. I am also a direct enemy to Madara Uchiha and any Uchiha that still believes in Madara's flawed path." Deidara looked at me shocked.

"You're Hashirama's son, that means your rightful home is the leaf village which he practically founded. This also explains your immortality to me you're already dead.." I nodded.

"No one is yet to be aware that my grave has been robbed, except one."

"Who?" I looked down.

"Tobi, who's real identity is Obito Uchiha. He's the one that plunged the sword into my abdomen having completely forgotten that I am immortal. He no longer remembers doing it as my backup plan erases memories upon my touch. I got that special kekkei genkai from my mother because I was not Mito's child but another's." Deidara looked down as if realizing something.

"If you're special ability is manipulation of the mind, tell me, who truly gave you all of those injuries? It was me wasn't it, Naga?" I looked down before nodding.

"Why protect me then?! Why not let me remember all the bad things so I could suffer?!"

"Because, I love you…" I opened my eyes in shock at what I just said. I knew it was true, I loved Deidara which is why I wanted to protect him from me. I would have to erase his memories as well. Deidara advanced on me quickly before placing his lips over mine and kissing me. I didn't have time to react as I kissed him back with a single tear running down my cheek. I raised my hand and touched the back of his head, his lips left mine as his eyes closed and he passed out on the ground. I grabbed him before he could fall and laid him on the bed to rest.

"I'm so sorry, Deidara."


	3. Chapter 3

I waked into Pein's office and sat down across from him and sighed. He was looking over the sword that had been used to stab me when he looked up. He laid the sword off to the side and looked at me with a stern expression which softened as the leader instinct in him subsided into just being the one I was close to.

"So, Obito finally found out." I nodded.

"It seems he has attempted to rob my grave and when my body wasn't within it he confirmed his suspicions. It is ironic that he used this sword to do it with though." Pein looked at me with confusion which is when I remembered the age difference between us. I chuckled to myself.

"Right, you weren't alive yet. The sword used to stab me is a special sword crafted for the one who is next to become the head of the Senju clan, which as I being Hashirama's son, I was to be the next head of our clan meaning Obito used my own sword to stab me." Pein rubbed the back of his head with a small sweatdrop on his forehead before looking at me seriously. His expression caught me off guard as it wasn't one I had seen before.

"I know it hasn't even been a week yet, but have you found the will to live?" I was frozen for a second, I wasn't expecting him to ask me such a question this early into our agreement. I planned my answer careful as I thought about what happened with Deidara back in our room before looking at Pein and nodding. I now knew what my reason to live would be: protecting Deidara from those who want me. Even upon my death should they believe he knew anything about me he would still be a target.

"Is it what I heard in Deidara's room? The fact that you're in love with him?" I blushed before looking down.

"So I am correct, but, I heard you also reveal yourself to him, yet you also wiped his memory soon after. Why?"

"For reasons like what happened today. If Deidara knew who I truly was then he would be a target for any who is desperate enough to attack me. In fact, just me loving him makes him a target and it's not one I can have him wear on his back upon even my own death." I looked back towards Deidara's room.

"I hate to say this, but, it might be better if you left the Akatsuki." I looked back at Pein and nodded. He was right because should anyone here find out that I am a member of the Senju clan, especially Obito, then everyone in the Akatsuki base would become targets. And I'm afraid of whom those targets would belong to.

"What will you tell them?" Pein had to give them a reason or they would ask questions that would get them potentially killed.

"I will take the blame and tell them I kicked you out for not being strong enough to help in our ultimate mission. It's better that way and they won't ask too many questions, but I think you should be the one to tell Deidara." I nodded in agreement.

I unzipped my Akatsuki cloak after standing from the chair and and removed it along with my member ring. I looked back at Pein one more time mouthing goodbye before heading off to where our, Deidara's, room was. I didn't look or speak to any of the Akatsuki as I walked past them and entered Deidara's room. He was just waking up as he looked at me then to the stuff in my hand. He shook his head no as he looked with sadness in his one visible eye. I laid my cloak and ring on his bed before turning to walk out of the room. Deidara grabbed onto me from behind and wrapped his arms around me tightly not letting go.

"I love you, Naga. Please don't leave me!" I tried to hide my tears as I looked down to the ground. He held onto me tighter and buried his face into my neck, I could feel his tears dripping down onto the back of my shirt as he cried silently.

"Pein exiled me from the Akatsuki Deidara, I have no choice in the matter." I shoved him off of me with much regret and guilt before running from inside the base. I ran deep into the forest with Deidara following me the whole time. I stopped in the middle of a large grass clearing as I turned to see Deidara panting but standing not that far from me.

"Takashi!"

I stood in shock as he screamed my name. My real name. I was about to speak when I saw Orochimaru come up behind him and blindside him knocking him out. I growled as I watched him walked towards me dragging Deidara by his hair towards me. He lifted him in the air and put a sword at his throat.

"Come back home now and I won't hurt him."

"Fine, just put Deidara down!"

"Oh no, he's coming with us. I can't have you cooperating until I let him go then have you attack me." I growled.

Kimimaro came up behind me and roughly yanked my hands behind my back. He made a long piece of bone that he stabbed through both of my hands and into my back. I yelped in pain but otherwise held my tongue not wanting to give Orochimaru any kind of satisfaction. Kimimaro pushed me forward as we started to make our way back to Otogakure where a horrible fate was awaiting me and Deidara should I misbehave. It seems that I was to be walking on eggshells for however long Orochimaru decides to keep me. Hopefully that wasn't long because I wasn't one who liked to be treated as a slave by anyone but Deidara.


	4. Chapter 4

I watched Deidara's sleeping form from across the jail cell Orochimaru had thrown us in. My hands were bound to one of the bars of the jail cell as my breathing slowly became more labored due to some sort of experiment Orochimaru had performed on me. Despite the pain I was feeling I knew it was for Deidara's safety which made it easier to endure whatever he did to me. I laid back against the bars of the cell as I heard Orochimaru approaching us. I looked up at him as he watched me with a surprised expression.

"Interesting, that poison was meant to kill you, but you're still perfectly fine." He chuckled to himself.

"Orochimaru...I've allowed you to hurt me willingly, but, I do have a few questions about who exactly I was in life." He tilted his head down at me curiously.

"Well, I guess since I'm the only one who knows the truth ask away, but afterwards it is experiment time." I nodded.

"I keep having glimpses of myself standing next to Madara Uchiha, why?"

"You did not die in the war. No, in fact, you died by the hands of your own village. You see you betrayed your father and were the one who actually killed him, and join Madara's side. You were taken by Konoha once Madara had fallen and put to death by beheading." I felt sick to my stomach as I sat there. I killed my own father for Madara, but why does his followers want me dead?

"Of course, no one knows why you suddenly betrayed everyone in the middle of the war. Many speculate you were held hostage by some being that left once you were to be killed. Until you remember that, we shall never know." I sat there in a stunned silence as Orochimaru bent down to my level and shoved a needle into my neck. I didn't bother to fight it as this was what I agreed on upon more information about myself. As he pushed the liquid into my veins I yelled in agony as the liquid immediately sent my body into an inferno. I closed my eyes as I felt tears wanting to drip down my face. I weakly pushed out a thank you to Orochimaru as he walked away from the cell and back into the main room of the Kages home.

Deidara sat up from the cot and looked over at me. He got up finding himself free and walked over to me. His expression broke my heart as he looked at me with a sadness that I had never seen on anyone before.

"This is all my fault isn't it, Takashi?" I shook my head no.

"This is-" I yelled in pain from the burning inside me, "This is my fault, I drug you into this the very first day I escaped Orochimaru." He untied my hands and pulled me into his arms trying to hide his own tears. I felt a new pain as the liquid he injected into my body started attacking my heart. I coughed up blood unexpectedly as I clawed into Deidara's shoulder.

"Naga?! What's happening to you?!" I clutched at my chest as my heart was starting to dissolve in my chest.

"What did he put inside of you?!" My eyes widened as I looked up to see Obito standing outside our cell.

"Acid that specifically targets your heart. Naga's only weakness is his heart." I coughed up more blood as my tears finally started to fall.

"Why...why does...he..want me dead?"

"You were useful to Madara in the war, but, you've become too dangerous to allow you to live. No hard feelings Takashi, really." I started to close my eyes as my heart was almost gone. Deidara tried shaking me with tears rolling down his face.

"It's too late Deidara, it's only a few more minutes before Naga is gone."

"He's right...it's not much longer...I love you, Deidara..." I closed my eyes and went limp in Deidara's arms. My scroll fell out of my hand and into Deidaras lap as he looked down at me in horror.

 _"Takashi, welcome home." I opened my eyes to find myself in large mansion-like home. My father stood in front of me with his arms opened for a hug. I ran into them and tears dropped down onto the kimono he wore. Immediately all my memories returned and I could see what happened during the war._

 _"Why...why did I kill you father?! I can't remember!"_

 _"I told you too. I knew my village would be in right hands so I made you kill me to get close to Madara. His followers hate you because you killed him Takashi." I stood there in a stunned state._

 _"You need to go back Takashi, your time is not now. As much as Mito and I would love to have you home its not time yet."_

 _"How am I to return? Orochimaru has taken my heart."_

 _"Don't worry too much about that. Deidara still needs you right now trust me." I nodded with tears as nt father touched my head._

I felt my body but realized it was no longer in the cell. Now I just gave to figure out where I am and how to get my body to respond to me. Great.


	5. Chapter 5

I laid there for well over an hour as I struggled to regain control over my body. Upon finally being able to open my eyes I looked around the room and recognized it as the lab in the Otogakure Kage building. I forced myself to sit up only to feel my chest flare up with pain; I looked down to see my chest cavity had been cut open to reveal all of what would be organs if I ever actually had any. I closed my skin and immediately it healed closed once more as I hopped down off the makeshift autopsy table. I slipped out of the lab and hurried down to where the prison cells were. I slowly entered the cells to see Deidara bloody on the floor of our old cell and hurried over to him to check how severe his wounds were. He had lost a lot of blood so he wouldn't be waking anytime soon which meant I had to hurry to get him home and slip away before he sees that I am in fact alive.

I lifted Deidara up into my arms and slipped quietly out of his unlocked cell and up to the door that lead back outside. I had to readjust him so I could defend us against anyone who might notice that we were escaping, but I wanted to try to prevent myself from wasting anytime as I hurried out the back entrance to Otogakure. I jumped into the trees and headed towards where I felt the familiar chakra of Itachi Uchiha in the distance. He started coming towards me and eventually we met in the middle of a clearing, the same clearing we were taken from.

"Where were you two?" Itachi's tone was not one that pleased me very much.

"Orochimaru took us, and well, he killed me. At least that's what Deidara will think because somehow I'm still alive even after my heart was destroyed." Itachi looked at us with a confused expression.

"It's a long story but I'm sure Deidara will explain it to you once he wakes up." I heard a groan come from Deidara and quickly handed him over to Itachi and retreated back into the trees concealing my chakra. I watched as Deidara woke up and began crying into Itachi's chest.

"Tak- Naga is dead Itachi!" Itachi rubbed his back and looked towards me. I mouthed that I would explain later as he consoled a crying Deidara. I wanted so bad to go over and show him that I was still alive but I thought about what just happend at Otogakure and realized that as long as everyone assumes I am dead them no one can ever get hurt from me again. Itachi appeared next to me while a clone helped Deidara back to the Akatsuki base.

"Okay, so it's time for the truth. What happened and who are you? I have no time for games Naga."

"My name is Takashi Senju, I am known as a traitor to Konoha because during the first shinobi world war I killed my father Hashirama Senju. I was eventually captured by the leaf ninja and beheaded for treason. Recently revealed to me upon my death at the hands of Orochimaru and Obito Uchiha I killed my father under his instruction to get close to Madara Uchiha. I eventually betrayed Madara and killed him which lead to my capture." I looked when I finished talking expecting Itachi to strike me.

"So, my suspicions were correct. I've been doing my own research and recently came upon a family picture of the Senju clan, upon inspecting said photo I noticed a familiar face: yours. I was waiting for you to tell me when you felt ready." I looked up at him in surprise.

"You've known this for a while haven't you?!" He nodded.

"I see, well, that's why you can't let Deidara know that I live. He will be in danger if someone suspects he knows anything and my mind manipulation didn't seem to work on him as well as I had hoped." Itachi nodded again.

"I understand. Please don't forget to take care of yourself wherever you decide to go." I hugged him before he disappeared again.


	6. Chapter 6

I watched from afar as Deidara was locked in a battle with Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki. I held my bleeding stomach while a small line of blood trickled from the side of my mouth. I noticed that I wasn't invincible anymore after I had taken the attacks for Sasori and my wounds refused to close. My legs were shaking as I prepared to leap onto Deidara's bird to push him from Kakashi's sharingan, something I had only seconds to get right. I waited for my chance to jumped from the ground with as much force as I had left and jumped right over Deidara's bird grabbing him by the cloak and throwing him out of the path of the sharingan. I yelled out in pain as I was caught in it instead from my wrist down and watched as my hand was ripped off of my body. I held onto my arm as I looked down at Kakashi and fell off the bird into the canyon below. I hit one of the logs that crossed the canyon and gasped as the air was forced from within my lungs. Kakashi jumped to my side and looked at my face with his eyes growing wide.

"Takashi Senju..so I was right, omeone did rob your grave." I chuckled as I struggled to regain my breath and nodded. "We know the truth, we know what happened during the war now."

"It's...It's a little late for that..I'm already dead..." Deidara jumped down at my side and kicked Kakashi away from me.

"Naga!" He had tears in his eyes as he looked down at me. I raised my hand as I felt an attack coming from Naruto and pushed Deidara away from where he would've made impact with him. The tree beneath me started to break after I took Naruto's attack. Deidara quickly lifted me up and jumped back up to where his bird was waiting to escape a furious Naruto.

"Naga, you're gonna be okay, right?!" I shook my head as I struggled to form words.

"My father brought me back because he said you needed me...but in doing so, I lost my invincibility.."

"You're can't die on me, Takashi!" Deidara shook me as I laid back in his lap.

"I'm not done yet, Deidara...You need to give me to Kakashi..." Deidara nodded butI could see the reluctance in his face. I gently stroked his cheek as I felt Kakashi join us up on the bird. I stood up with Kakashi's help and groaned in pain.

"Deidara...go get Sasori and I want you two to run far away...I promise I will find you as soon as I can..." Deidara nodded and as Kakashi jumped from the bird I saw him fly far away.

"What the heck, Kakashi-sensei? That guy killed Gaara!" Naruto seemed frustrated and I couldn't blame him, but I also couldn't allow anyone to hurt my Deidara.

"Quiet down, Naruto!" Kakashi snapped. I chuckled as I couldn't stand any longer and fell down to my knees.

"Who the hell is this guy anyways?"

"I guess they stopped teaching kids about the traitor of the leaf since they realized they killed an innocent sixteen year old boy." Kakashi smacked the back of my head.

"Sorry.."

Kakashi cleared his throat before speaking again, "His name is Takashi Senju. He is first Hokage Hashirama Senju's son, who has been reanimated from the dead after his body was stolen from his grave."

"Woah! You must be over a hundred years old! Wait, if you're the son of a hokage doesn't that mean you are supposed to be our new hokage?" I nodded.

"Technically, but since I was beheaded for the murder of my father I don't think that applies to me anymore." Naruto looked at me confused.

"I'll explain it to you later, should I survive the fact that I'm bleeding out where we stand." Kakashi and Naruto both seemed to freak out when they remembered the wounds I had sustained.

"Where's Sakura? She could heal him right?"

"Is that the pink haired girl?" They both looked at me with looks that made me shrink away.

"I promise I didn't do anything. I just sealed her inside a tree." Kakashi sighed and lifted me up as we headed back to the spot I had saved Sasori at. Sakura and Lady Chiyo stood still halfway inside the trees I had trapped them inside. Upon seeing me they both looked incredibly angry until I did the hand-signs and set them free.

"Takashi, what was the big idea?" Lady Chiyo looked at me angrily.

I tapped my fingers together, "well, I couldn't let my best friend die...I've lost so many already..." Lady Chiyo sighed and hugged me as I stood in front of her, I collapsed in her arms unable to keep myself awake any longer.

"Takashi?!" Lady Chiyo looked me up and down before looking towards Sakura despite the fact that she was poisoned.

"Sakura, I need you to start healing him now." Sakura nodded and hers was the last face I seen before I slipped into unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

I coughed as I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by leaf ninja. They all seemed surprised to see that I was awake. I struggled to sit up in bed and was instantly assisted by Kakashi. I looked around finding it weird that they were helping me like this and not looking at me with murderous intent.

"We did a little research while waiting for you to awaken and found that even though you were killed for treason you were also cleared of all crimes which makes you eligible to be our Hokage." I realized why everyone acted the way they did towards me and sighed.

"I'm being appointed Hokage..." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and nodded. I looked at him with a death glare but decided it would do me no good since this was my bloodline and i would have to follow through even if I was killed by the same village I swore to protect. I gripped onto Kakashi and stood from the bed with a grunt of pain. I looked down to see my body bandaged from my waist up and thought back to Deidara. I needed to find him before someone else does and soon.

"I will accept the position of Hokage, but, my first order is that no one is to go after the explosive expert Deidara. And that is a Hokage's order." Many of the ninja around me nodded despite disagreeing with me. Kakashi handed me the Hokage robes which Sakura helped me dress into. As I finished dressing into the kage robes I turned to look at the ninja before me.

"So, I guess we need to get down to business?" I rubbed the back of my head having no real clue in what I needed to be doing. They all sighed in unison.

"What? I was killed three years before my Hokage training was to begin."

"That is true. You wouldn't have been trained until you were twenty, how close to your birthday were you when you were killed Takashi?"

I balled up my fists and looked down at the ground, "it was my birthday on the day of my execution...June twentieth." I couldn't look at anyone as I knew what expression they gave me. It was the same one my friends, the Akatsuki, gave me before I completely wiped their memories. I still remember the look in their eyes after I erased every memory they held of me leaving only the one of when I joined the Akatsuki. I felt a hand gently grab onto my shoulder and out of the corner of my eye saw Kakashi looking at me with worry.

"You all do realize that because I was saved by the Akatsuki and taken care by them I will have a biased opinion on them and will refuse to launch any attack on them whatsoever, right?" They nodded.

"We have taken that into consideration already Takashi." I looked over to see old woman Tsunadr walk in.

"Isn't it my lovely niece!" I chuckled at the shocked expression on Narutos face.

Tsunade fought to resist the urge to punch me as she started talking again, "as I was saying, we know of your connections to the criminals which is why we have decided to only go after them should they attack us." I looked at her annoyed. She knew very well that the Akatsuki would attack the leaf village even if I was the Hokage now. I looked at her with a glare that she eagerly returned with a smirk. I was going to have to make a decision I didn't like in the future I just knew it.


	8. Chapter 8

I sat at my desk as I felt a familiar chakra come from behind me. I spun around in my chair and came face-to-face with Deidara. He looked away from me as he took a dagger from his weapons pouch and jumped down from the window sill. Deidara walked towards me and I rose from my chair to advance towards Deidara. He held the dagger in a shaky hand as he got closer but dropped it as my arms wrapped around him. He cried into my robes as I held him close to me and kissed his head.

"Takashi, I love you, you know that right?" His sentence was barely cohesive as he struggled to speak through his tears.

"I know Deidara, and I love you very much as well. I need you to complete the mission Pein has given you Deidara." He shook his head.

"I almost lost you back at my fight with Kakashi, and you lost your hand because of me Takashi I can't kill you, I love you too much for that." I lifted his head and kissed him deeply as we stood in the windows of the Kage tower.

"Deidara, I'm dying. Pein sent you so you could see me one last time knowing that you'd never be able to kill me which is why Itachi is nearby for when I give the signal. My body is beginning to decay because it no longer has a heart meaning there's nothing keeping the cells that make up my body alive; my father brought me back long enough for me to keep you safe. He knew you were going to be killed which is what he wanted me to prevent because he knew I loved you, and now I'm not needed anymore Deidara. I want you to promise me one thing okay?" He nodded though now pouring tears.

"Anything for you Takashi." I wiped away his tears and smiled at him.

"Leave the Akatsuki, go far away from our land and find yourself somewhere to live peacefully. I can't protect you once I die Deidara and I can't have you throwing away the life I gave mine for."

"I promise, Takashi. I won't ever take this chance for granted." I kissed him deeply which he gladly returned. I raised my hand and signaled to Itachi that I was ready. Deidara stepped away as Itachi jumped into the room from the window and took a sword from inside his cloak. I closed my eyes as Itachi slashed the sword quickly across my throat.

Takashi's head fell from his shoulders like it once had upon his execution. Deidara lifted up his body and laid it peacefully on the small lounge that he had in his office and laid his head right where it would connect to his body. All at once anyone that he had manipulated into forgetting his existence remembered exactly who he was. Deidara suddenly remembered all the beatings he gave Takashi, his birthday, and the time he confessed his love. He looked down as he mourned his lover and turned to leave the kage's office. Itachi held onto Deidara as they both left to return to the Akatsuki base. Deidara back at the tower with a frown.

"Happy birthday, Takashi."


End file.
